Garment clasp



ov., 211, 1950 J. R. ANDRUs 2533,24@

GARMENT CLASP .Filed oct. 25. 1945 lumung Patented Nov. 21. 1950 fUNiTED ,STAT-ES PATENT OFFICE AGmlRr/IENT CLASP yJohn R. Andros, Brooklyn, N. Y., assigner to .Stephen Apostoluk, .New York, N. Y.

Applc'ationctober 23, 1945, Serial No. 623,906

2 Glaims.

'My invention relates broadly to garment :clasp and more'particularly v.to .an improved construcon ya mass .production .scale for 'forming a highly practical construction 'of 'garment clasp.

' Another object oi my'inventionis to provide a i `construction of garment clasp including a pair -o pivotallly `connected clasp members har/ing lspring ends therebetween normally tending to kurge the `clasp members to open position and in- 'foluding arcani-shaped actuator connectable with `a garment suspension member for'positivelymoving the clasnimembersto closed position.

Stillfanot'her 'object of fmy 'invention is to provid'eza construction roi garment clasp including a pair of pivotally connected clasp members, one

'of `Which terminates in .an inwardly -directed end "portion 'which is apertured :to receive a tongue `member `'Wnicli is pivotally vmounted with the 4other said fclasp members whereby the two clasp "fm-embers may :be guided to closed position for 'gripping Athe edge of `a garment therebetween.

clasp to closed position ior gripping the edge of va '.garment.

u OtherA and further V'objects oi .my invention .reside in the construction "of cam-'shaped `actuator for a garmentfclasp as fsetforthmore fully in the specification hereinafter 'following Vby reference tothe accompanying drawings in which:

Figure il is asid'e elevational view-of the gar- `mentclasp of my invention `-vit-htheparts thereloi illustrated in .open vpositionfor ydisengagement from aagarment; 4ligiflis a front elevational view of' .the garment clasp with parts shown in the position.illustratedlin llFig. .lt Fig. 3 lis a rear ele'- -vational view y'oi 'the garment cl'aso with parts shown .in the posi-tionls'e't `:Eorthin Figs. l rand 2'; Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the "garment clasp in the position illustrated in the preceding iigure-s; y5 is `a-central vertical longitudinal sectional view taken-"on iline 5-5 of Fig. 2; Fig. '6

fis 'a fragmentary longitudinal Vsectional view italien .substantially on lin'e `--l o1 A*"Eig. A5 with certain ofthe parts' shown lin fsection and eer- 2 tain oi 'the parts :illustrated in elevation; Fig, "7 is 'a iront elevational view foi the garment clasp with parts illustrated closed 'position for lengaging a garment between fthe clasp members; Fig. il is an elevational View looking at the `rear ci "the garment clasp as 'illustrated in Fig; 7; Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on line S-s of View ".l'; Fig. 10 is a 'perspective view of one of the clasp members o'f the garment clasp; Fig. ll is a perspective vieW of the cam' actuator which operates `'intermediate 'the clasp members of the garment clasp; and Fig. i412 is a perspective view of the coacting fclasp member oi the garment clasp.

My invention yis directed to a `simple' construction oi garment clasp which is readily adapted to mass production at low cost `for producing Va construction of garment clasp which is `highly practical, durable and efficient in use. I have developed the garment clasp oi my invention after extensive experimentation in an 'effort to secure a sturdy construction of garment clasp havinga :minimum number `of parts of a construction which insures relatively long life. The Wear on vthe parts is inappreciable and the aetion of the garment clasp 'is positive. The cam actuator which connects With `a garment suspension member operates-between a pair of coacting clasp members ior positively moving 'the clasp members to open position assisted by a spring disposed between the clasp members and conversely, positivelymoving the clasp members 4vided. at one end with a garment engaging lip `directed substantially normal to the plane of the clasp member and extending toward a correspondingly formed engaging lip '2a on clasp member 2. The lip 2a 'extends in a plane substantially 'normal to the plane of clasp member -2 and is directed toward the clasp `nflernber l for effecting engagement of a garment which I have represented generally at Q8, between the engagl'ilps 'ia and .2a as illustrated in'Fig. 9.

The 'clasp `member l lterminates in an edged portion lb short of the ends oi the side Walls 3 and which are coextensive with the clasp member I Y. The lside walls 3 `and il project'beyond the terminating edge lb and 'are apertured at 5 and 56 fOI' llecifing the oppositely Ydirected ktrunnions or pins I'I and I8 on the cam member I9 for pivotally mounting the cam member I9 in position between the ends of the clasp members I and 2.

The side walls 3 and 4 of clasp member I project for a distance substantially embracing the opposite edges of clasp member 2 for approximately half the length thereof. The side walls 3 and 4 are shortened at 3a and 4a to facilitate the entry of the edge of a garment such as represented at 20, between the engaging lips Ia and 2a. The clasp member 2 has correspondingly foreshortened side wall portions 9a and Illa with coextensive angularly disposed side wall portions 9 and I I) which taper from a substantially central section of the clasp member 2 to the end thereof which is inturned at I5. The inturned end I5 of the clasp member 2 is provided with a rectangular aperture I3 therein, which serves as a guide for the aligned tongue I9a of the cam actuator I9,

pivotally mounted between the clasp members I and 2 on the trunnions or pins Il' and I8, which extend through apertures 5 and 6 in side walls 3' and 4 of clasp member I.

A transverse pin I4 extends through apertures 'I and 8 in the side walls 3 and 4 of clasp member I and through aligned apertures II and I2 in the tapered side walls 9 and I0 of clasp member 2 for pivotally connecting the clasp members I and 2.

A coil spring 2I has coiled portions thereof concentrically disposed about the transverse pin I 4 with one loop of the coil spring, represented at 2Ia, bearing against the interface of clasp member I and the opposite ends of the coil spring 2|,

represented at 2lb, yieldably engaging the interface of clasp member 2. The two portions, 2Ia and 2lb of spring 2|, tend to continuously urge clasp members I and 2 to open position in which the engaging lips Ia and 2a are spatially separated from engagement with the edge of garment 2 The cam actuator I9 has a looped portion I9b at the end thereof through which the garment suspension member 22 is looped. The garment clasp is thus suspended with respect to the garment 20. The cam actuator I9 is shaped to fit within the recessed end of clasp member I immediately adjacent the terminating edge Ib. The cam-shaped actuator I9 is slightly curved at its central portion, represented at I9c, immediately adjacent the trunnions or pivot pins I1 and I8. The tongue I9a is coextensive with the curved portion I 9c of the cam-shaped actuator and projects beyond the shoulders I9d and I9e thereof. The shoulders I9d and I9e serve as limiting stops with respect to the interface of the inturned end I5 of the clasp member 2 for restricting the movement of the cam actuator when moving the clasp members to open position, illustrated in Figs. 1-

'6. The tongue I9a follows a curved path, represented by dotted lines 23 in Fig. 9, in positively moving the clasp members I and 2 from the open position shown in Fig. 5 to the closed position shown in Fig. 9. In the course of this movement the tongue I9a is withdrawn from a projected position penetrating aperture I6, as represented in Fig. 5, to a position in which tongue I9a scrapes or moves along the interface of clasp member 2,

Aserving as a cam for spreading the upper faces of the clasp members I and 2 while directing the engaging lips la and 2a of the clasp members I and 2 positively toward each other for clasping the edge of the garment 2D therebetween. The end of the tongue I9a engages the interface of clasp member 2 beyond the central pivot thereof on pin I4, thereby rocking clasp member 2 about pin I4 as a center and shifting the engaging lip 2a into overlapping relation with engaging lip Ia of clasp member I for gripping the garment 20. The pin I4 is riveted into position between the side Walls 3 and 4 of clasp member I, as represented at I4a and Mb. The side walls 9 and I0 of clasp member 2 are tapered from the center thereof toward the end thereof, thereby allowing the clasp member 2 to rock about pin I4 and separating the inturned engaging lips Ia and 2a by decreasing the spatial relation of the opposite ends of clasp members I and 2, which are thus permitted to collapse or telescope with respect to each other.

I have found the construction of the clasp of my invention very sturdy and practical and while I have described my invention in one of its preferred embodiments, I realize that modifications and changes may be made and I intend no limitations upon my invention other than may be imposed by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:

l. A garment clasp comprising a pair of jawlike members each terminating in a garmentengaging gripping portion, side Walls integral with said jaw-like members directed toward each other in overlapping relation, a pivotal connection between said side walls, the side Walls of one of said members having a substantially uniform depth and the side walls of the other of said members being formed on a bias tapering toward the end thereof for allowing said members to be angularly displaced with respect to each other for spreading said jaw-like members at the garment-engaging gripping portion for receiving a garment to be supported therebetween, an angularly disposed integral end portion extending from the end of said second mentioned jaw-like member and projecting substantially beyond the end of said first mentioned jaw-like member, said angularly disposed integral end portion having a perforation therein immediately adjacent the terminating end thereof, a cam-shaped actuator pivotally mounted between the side Walls of said rst-mentioned jaw-like-member and having a substantially curved tongue integrally connected therewith and variably extendable through and withdrawable from the perforation in the perforated end portion of said second mentioned jaw-like member with the terminating end of said tongue effecting sliding engagement with the inner face of said second mentioned jaw-like member in a direction toward the pivotal connection of said jaw-like member for moving said second mentioned jaw-like member to a stabilized position in which the bias tapering walls thereof abut with the inner surface of said second mentioned jaw-like member for controlling the opening and clos=ng of said jaw-like members, said tongue operating to positively maintain said jawlike members closed when said tongue is withdrawn from said perforation in said second mentioned jaw-like member and slides against the inner surface of said second mentioned jaw-like member, and spring means disposed between said jaw-like members.

2. A garment clasp comprising a pair of jawlike members each terminating in a garmentengaging gripping portion, one of said jaw-like members having a pair of flat parallel side walls extending in a substantially medial position along Said jaw-1.11@ member to one end thereof, the

other of said jaw-like members having a pair of ilat side walls formed on a bias tapering from a substantially medial position of said jaw-like member to one end thereof, the end of said second mentioned jaw-like member projecting beyond the end of said irst mentioned jaw-like member, means extending through said side Walls for pivotally connecting said j atv-like members on an axis extending through a substantially medial line transversely of said side Walls, spring means located on said axis and tending to yieldably spread the garment-engaging gripping portions of said jaw-like members, said second mentioned jaw-like member having the end portion thereof disposed in an angular direction toward the inner face of said second mentioned jaw-like member and being provided with a perforation adjacent the end thereof, a cam-shaped actuator extending between the side walls of said rst mentioned jaw-like member and having a substantially curved tongue connected therewith, a pivotal mounting extending transversely of the curved portion of said curved tongue whereby said tongue is moVabIe in an arcuate path with the tip thereof slidably engaging the inner face of said second mentioned jaw-like member in a translatory path approaching the pivotal connection of said jaw-like members for orienting said second mentioned jaw-like member With respect to said first mentioned jaw-like member, said curved tongue being movable to a position in which the tip thereof penetrates the perforation in said angulariy disposed end portion of said second mentioned jaw-like member for spreading said garment-engaging gripping portions of said jaw-like members as said cam-shaped actuator is angularly shifted to move the biased tapering edges of the side walls of said second mentioned jaw-like member toward the inner face of said second mentioned jaw-like member as an abutment and to a position in which the tip of the curved tongue is Withdrawn from said perforation and establishes sliding engagement with the inner face of said second mentioned jaw-like member for maintaining the garment-engaging gripping portions of said jaw-like members in closed position.

JOHN R. ANDRUS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile 0I this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 903,373 Hall Nov. 10, 1908 1,962,186 Finkbeiner June 12, 1934 2,118,475 Pallas May 24, 1938 

